Risk Series Book 1: The Beginning
by Juliet's Shadow
Summary: An accident puts the friendship of two cats to the ultimate test. Skyflash, a new warrior of WindClan and her best friend, Stripedflower, the medicine cat apprentice make a discovery that could cost them their lives. The first in my Challenge series Risk.


"Hurry up, Stripedflower!" Skyflash yelled as she approached the gorge. Skyflash's silver pelt was shining in the weak sun though the patches of white on her chest, throat and forepaws were muddy from the mud puddles she ran through. Her fur was sticking out in awkward angles, plastered by the mud. She could've have leaped over every one of the mud puddles, she had the longest legs of any cat living in WindClan, or any Clan for that matter. She could even leap the gorge.

"I'm coming, Skyflash!" Stripedflower was the WindClan medicine cat apprentice though she was better than the medicine cat, Meadowstorm. Stripedflower's smooth, pale gray, almost white, tabby pelt was striped by dark gray, almost black, tabby stripes. Her small, dark blue eyes contrasted greatly from Skyflash's big bright green ones. The mud presented no problem for the wise cat. She had enough sense to go around them. She reached the gorge only to see Skyflash hunched over looking down the gorge. Her front paws were hanging down and her belly was on the ground. "Skyflash, get away from the edge!"

Skyflah shook her head. "I think there's a cat down there! I'll go check it out!" Before Stripedflower could protest, her friend leaped down onto a rock that was sticking out of the gorge. She sighed as Skyflash did this until she reached the bottom. She walked around and went down the gorge the long way.

Skyflash's eyes were huge as she looked over the body of Emberfoot, a pale ginger tabby with dark ginger tabby stripes. Stripedflower's brother. It looked as if he had tried to get down the rocks the same way Skyflash always did -the only one who got down that way- missed a pawhold and fell. There was blood leaking out of his head, and pooling around her paws. "No…"

Skyflash looked up just as the words escaped Stripedflower's mouth. Her eyes were filled with sadness and sorrow at the loss of her brother. She shook her head. "No, no, no, no!" Her head fell into her paws and she mourned for her brother.

"Stripedflower, I- I'm sorry." She bit her lower lip trying to think of what to say. "I told everyone that they shouldn't go down the way I do. They don't have as much balance as I do." Seeing she wasn't making Stripedflower feel any better she tried a different approach. "I mean –uh- I shouldn't have let anyone see me go down this way in the first place. It should be me who is lying there, dead, not your brother. It's my fault he is dead."

"I'll say!" The two cats looked up at the cat who spoke. It was a gray she-cat with black spots littering her pelt and amber eyes, Amberspots. Amberspots was going to be medicine cat apprentice but Meadowstorm chose Stripedflower, Stripedkit at the time. Amberspots had always been jealous. Her build was similar to Skyflash's where it was athletic and great for running and fighting though she hated both. She had begged to be medicine cat but when Meadowstorm gave her a quick test over basic herbs that even kits should know but she got poppy seed and juniper berry confused with each other. She hated Stripedflower for getting the spot as Meadowstorm's apprentice. "I know it's your fault, Skyflash, but I'll tell everyone in the Clan it was Stripedflower's over here if you join me."

Stripedflower looked up and started to stand, looking calm, but upset. Her blue eyes were looking at Amberspots, staring into her soul. "What will happen if she doesn't join you?"

Amberspots smiled. "I'll say I saw her murder Emberfoot and the mud on her fur is her trying to cover up his blood. The blood she is standing in won't help her cause either. Skyflash, you must either join me and abandon Stripedflower, causing me to become medicine cat or stay with Stripedflower and have a high chance of becoming a rogue." If Amberspots was a normal cat this would be no threat but she was the leader's daughter, his only daughter. She could twist up any story and he would believe it. "What do you say, Skyflash me or Stripedflower?"

Stripedflower walked up to her friend. "Skyflash, this isn't your fault. Choose her. I'll be fine. You're known for being a bit brash. It wouldn't be hard for her to make up a lie about you."

Skyflash looked at Stripedflower. "No, I'm staying with you. You would do the same for me and if my life has to come to an end because of it, let it."

Amberspots' eyes narrowed. "You're going to regret this, Skyflash!" She started to leap up the gorge the way Skyflash does. The cats stood over Emberfoot's body looking up at her nervously as she ran away. She misplaced her paw once and it was fatal. She started to fall. She landed with a _thud _at the bottom, close to where the duo was. Her neck was broken and she was dead.

Skyflash perked her ears at the sound of a patrol. "Run away from here, Stripedflower. I'll catch up." Stripedflower nodded and ran off.

Skyflash stood by the bodies as the patrol came to the gorge. "Is that Skyflash?" She heard one of them say. They ran down the gorge, the long way, and stood face to face with three of her Clanmates. Leading the patrol was Harestar, Amberspots' father. "You… you killed them?" There was pure hatred in his eyes.

Skyflash said nothing but took a quick glance at Stripedflower. She then took off running though the gorge. "Never come back, Skyflash, if you know what's good for you! Never return to the Clans!" He called after her. The patrol then started picking up the bodies of the dead.

Stripedflower ran out of her hiding place and ran after Skyflash. "Wait, Skyflash!"

Skyflash turned around and looked at Stripedflower and waited for her to catch up. "You won't leave?"

"Never, because you didn't leave me." She said.

Skyflash shook her head. "You can't come. The Clan needs you."

"They can find someone else." Stripedflower smiled. "They can find someone else like me, but I can't find someone else like you."

Skyflash smiled. "You can't ever go back either too, you know."

Stripedflower nodded. "I know. So where are we going?"

Skyflash smiled. "Well, let's go make our own Clan, StripedClan!"

Stripedflower shook her head. "No, let's call it SkyClan."

"Wait!" Skyflash smiled. " LoyaltyClan."

Stripedflower nodded. "You know, maybe this was meant to be. I'm glad we're gone. I think this is what we're called for."

Skyflash nodded. "I agree."

**This was for Misgiving Writer's Friendship is Magic Challenge where you were given two cats based off My Little Pony characters and you had to show their friendship. Skyflash is based off Rainbow Dash and Stripedflower is based off of Zecora. I had a lot of fun with this Challenge and it is the perfect starter for this series I'm starting with Challenges. I'm going to be able to publish and update a lot more frequently now sense it's almost summer and we got a new router that works. **

**Songstar of MaskedClan on the Warrrior Challenge Forum **


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